Firewood splitting machine



April 17,-;192&

Y W. R. SCHMIDT FIREWOOD SPLITTING MACH IRE Fild -17. 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 17, 1928; 1,666,795

' W. R. SCHMIDT FIREWOOD SPLITTING MACHINE w. Hflchm dz m gg April 17, 1928.

w. R. SCHMIDT FIREWOQD SPLITTING MAGHI NB Filed my 17. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 17, 1928.

, winner a: or mum, 123mm rmawoon srnrr'rrirel umlsnsrri Application fled fey '17,

This invention relates to machines for splitting Wood and particularly to machines for splitting fire wood and? including a power operated reci procatirigv axe and nieans for supportingthe wood to be split. in ad:

Vance of the axe.

The general object of the present intention is to provide smechine of this charm ter having means whereby it may be arranged to accommodate the wood of difl'erent lengths and a further object is to provide meanswhereby a block may be interposed between the back stopwhich normally supports the billet of wood which isto be spl t, and the billet itself so as to permit shorter pieces of wood to be split without having to adjust the-back stop, this block bein ,movable into position, by means of a trea ie.

Other objects have; to do with the details of construction and; arrangement of parts, these ,being such Ins to permit the devices to be readily handled, to permit the logs orbillets to be readily adjusted in advance oi the axe, and perin-itthemachine as a'Who-le to be readilyitrfansported. t

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1; is a. top plan View oi a wood splitting machine constructed in accordance with my invention, the cylinderand piston beingwin section; p v

Figure 2 's a longitudinal sectional view of the machine; 7 t y 1 Figure 3 is a mp plan view of rear portion of-the frame with the platform reov v.

v Figure 4 i u t Figure 5 is a fragments-1? perspective .vieW of a. portion of the plat orm;

Figure 6 is a perspective View of the mixiliary back stop.

Referring to these "drawings, it will be seen that the machine generally speaking consists of the longitudinal bemns l-Qhavi-ng the front Wheels 11, the rear wheels 12 and the tongue 1.3 whereby the machine may be transported from place to place. Mounted upon a bed 14carried'upon-the beams'1O is a. tubuln-rguide which maybe circular in cross section or rectangular in cross section as desired, this guide 15 being illustrated as rectangular in cross section mid extending longitudinallyof the beams 10 and o en at both ends, Mount-ed upon the beams -10 is the transverse crank shaft 16 carrying the is a section on the line of "lo ngi'tndinaily u i 151. mm in. 162,091 I relativel heavy fiy' wheels 17. One of these fly whee carries upon a piilley 18 wheref by power be'trinsmitted to theshait 16 from an suitable source of power by moons a bet for instance. Qpersiting within the guide 15 is the. body or axe supporting sl del9, which my be ofnni suitable constri ction and whi" fits the hide lfivjllsii its a piston fits a" cylinder. is isprovided' with the wristpin 20"and Hamming; rod

21 of any suitable construction connects this lide with the cra nlishaft16 .v The axe 22 is carried by the bed ,19', the alxeibeing adapted o b engaged v i t e' n a y s i b manner as for instance welding. The axe has, the v us lml form. ObfiDBSly, of course, the axe will reciprocate in the gir-ide as the crank shaftrotates. I

Attached tothe longitndinol beems Lois t e r i me U hl e e W of the longitudinal "I rs 23 and the cross member 24. This niaytbe mode strep me w e e y o h ment e irons 23areforined with a plurelity ot perforotions or bolt openings 25 and the beams'lt) are also fomied with like erf oretions, the per ierstions of the mem-.

, st23 being disposed ot unifiorm distances :ggrt and correspondi perforations of "b 10 be n r g distances apart so that the frame formed of the members 23 and be adjusted the members, 10 and then bolted in? ace. upon the rear ends of M) and 59011 the irsmeformed ofthe members and 24' is the transversely extending platform 26 which is composed of onepr more planks over which the-axe operates. Attached to the transverse member 24 is the back stop 27.

This is pre-terably made of steel bolted,

riveted, or otherwase'attached to the member :24 and is prefierably about one inch thick,.twelve inches wide end eight inches high or rather it projects above the members 24 about, eightinches. The plet-formfio is geferabl y hollowed ent where the 210g also ,at'jwli form disposed immediately in ,front-ofthe back stop, Extending ecrossthe frames formed 'ofthe members 23 and 24andengwged there:

within any suitable ;manner is :a brace 28 and gpivotally mounted upon this brace tor Merticail movement are the-arms 29 which arms cairry :a wooden block 30 disposed immed-istely'intfrontaef the back-stop @2 7. The 101061: Se -is bolted to theorms by bolts 31 which extend vertically downward. through the block and the arms 29 are connected by a cross rod 32. Also pivoted upon the brace 28 is the treadle 33. which extends out in front of the machine in such a position that the operator may readily use it and this treadle 38 is connected by a chain 34 to the transverse brace 32, th-ischain passing over a pulley 35, mounted under the platform 26. Thus it will be seen that when the treadle is depressed the'arms 29 will be pulled upward and the block 30 will be brought into position immediately in advance of the back stop 27. When the pressure on the treadle is relieved,-the weight of the block 30 will cause the depression of the arms-29 to a position where the upper face of the block 30 will be stated.

in alinement with'the upper .faeesof the planks 26. The upper face-of this block 30 also is'formed with a slight depression or valley. In order to keep this block up in case for any reason a succession of relatively shortbillets of wood are to be split, the block is provided with a transverse opening 36 through which a pin may be passed, this pin being adapted to rest upon the upper edges of the platform' 26 so as to support the block in position. This pin is readily removed in case the block is not desired tobe in more or less constant use.

In the, use of this mechanism it will be understood, that the frame-composed of the members 23 and 24c is longitudinall-yadjusted upon the beams 10 to suit the particular length of-wood which isstandard in the community where themachine is to be used. Different communities usually have certain standard lengths of logs or billets of wood and thus the frame which carries the back stop-may be set away from the cutting edge of the axe a distance suflicient to accommodate this standard length of wood. Each time the axe is retracted the operator removes the split billet of wood and places a new billet upon the platform and against the back stop 27 and the axe in its forward movement strikes the end of this billet and splits it. In case the operator should see that a relatively short billet of wood is coming to be split he can immediately step upon the'treadle 38. lifting the block 30 upward which block from four to six inches in thickness and this accommodates the relatively short billet which is then split in the usual manner. If for any reason the wood is running short in length, so that there aremany pieces to be successively presented to the axe which are within the standard length the-block 30 may he held raised by a pin inserted in the opening 36 as before Preferably the axe has a sixteen inch or greater stroke and preferably the fly wheels will be'not less than forty inches in diameter. The pulley 18 has a diameter of about thirty-six inches. Thispulley or band wheel may be attached to the fly wheel in any suitable manner.

This fire wood splitterpermits the splltting of fire wood when green or dry and p permitsthe splitting of wood blocks which ordinarily are not split because of the hard labor necessitated in splitting them by hand. Using green wood increases thefuel value of the wood about forty percent. The machine splits more wood with two or three men operating the machine than ten men With a hand axe. It may be remarked that my machine has been used in splitting cord wood and splitting fire wood for a large community and that eighteen cords of wood were split in one. day by three men of the community. The machine will split blocks as large as can be lifted onto the platform and without regard as to whether the wood is tough or not. The slide guide or housing 15 for the axe being tubular absolutely prevents the axe from gettin'gout of place and holds, the axe to thejwork without regard to'the toughness'of the work so that the axe cannot be deflected. If'for any reason the axe cannot enter the" "block of wood or cannot split it, the'belt will either This usually indicates that I The machine l inches in diameter and eighteen inches long I may be split twice. One of thespecial'advantages of my invention resides in the use of these relatively largefiy wheelswhich give power and steadiness to the axe. By

using a large pulley I' gain power and'at the same time reduce the speed at-which the slitter operates as' obviously the axe should not reciprocate rapidly. This large pulley 18 permits any engine tobe used without two much strain upon it. In the use of this-machine, preferably one man places the blocks on the platform, another one stands in front of the axe and operates the treadle, while another man receives the pieces and throws them aside into the pile.

I claim y 1. A machine for splitting wood comprising a supporting frame, alongitudinally ex tending tubular guide housing. mounted upon the frame, a slide fitting-saidguide housing and reciprocating therein and carrying an axe, a crank shaft mounted upon the supporting frame and operatively connected to said slide, a pair of heavyand relatively large fly wheelsmounted upon the shaft, a pulley mounted upon the shaft, a belt en- I 1,eee,795

gaging the pulley whereby power may be transmitted to the shaft, a frame adjustable upon the main frame longitudinally thereof and carrying a backv stop, and a supporting platform mounted upon said last named frame in front of the back stop.

2. A machine for splitting wood comprising a supporting frame, a longitudinally extending guide housing mounted upon the frame, a slide fitting said guide housing and reciprocating therein-and carrying an axe, a crank shaft mounted upon the support ing frame and operatively connected to said slide, a pair of heavy and relatively large fly wheels mounted upon the shaft and having means whereby power maybe transmitted to them, a frame adjustable upon the main frame longitudinally thereof and carrying a back stop, ablock shiftable into place between the back stop and the axe and adapted to compensate for relatively short billets.

mitted to them, aframe adjustable upon the main frame longitudinally thereof and carrying a back stop, a block shiftable into place between the back stop and the axe,

ering the block, and means for arms pivoted upon the second'named frame for vertical movement and carrying said block, and a treadle operatively connected upon said arms and upon depression acting to shift the block into position in front of the back stop.

4. In a wood splitting machine, a reciprocating axe, power operated means for reciproeating theaxe, a back stop, and a block adapted to be disposed in front of the back stop to compensate for relatively short logs, treadle operated means for raisin or lowhoIding the block in a raised position independent of the treadle.

5. A machine for splitting woodincluding a main wheel supported frame, a longitudinally extending guide housing mounted on the frame, a'slide fitting said guide housing and reciprocatable therein, and carrying an axe, power operated means for reciprocating said slide and including a fly wheel, an

auxiliary U-shaped frame having sliding en-' gagement with the main frame, means for permitting the auxiliary frame to be longitudinally adjusted upon the main frame and for holdin it in its adjusted position, a stop carrie by the auxiliary frame at the end thereof, and opposed to the axe, a block insertible into position between the stop and theaxe, pivoted arms supporting said block,

and manually operable means for raising the block or lowering it includinga treadle. In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature. I

IVILLIAM R. SCHMIDT. 

